Larry Page, 29

Internet and Web

Google

Google combs more Web pages, faster, than any other search engine. But perhaps just as impressive is that despite the dot-com meltdown, the company has never veered from its mission. Competitors have tried to reposition themselves as all-purpose “portals,” only to slip from the radar screen. That thrills Google cofounder Larry Page, a feisty roller hockey player. Google has continued to expand the kinds of data it searches, recently adding Usenet news groups and retail catalogues.
And it keeps expanding its tool set: for instance, Google now serves its results to cell phones. Copresidents Page and Sergey Brin (p.69) have worked as equal teammates since they first devised their unique search software and went live in 1998.They are both competitive but know how productive they are working together. Their responsibilities often overlap, and they still share an office. For them, Google is about solving intellectual problems. Indeed, they recently recruited Novell and Sun veteran Eric Schmidt as CEO tomanage their 300-plus employees, so they can continue to focus on technology. “Our goal is to keep innovating,” Page says.